WHITE GETS DIRTY
I wantto kill Gregorio D’Medici, truce be damned.
I want to do to him everything he did to Leticia but tenfold, and then when I’m done, I want to...Shit. I’m starting to sound like Valor.
Drawing another deep breath, I clench my fist again as Doc has Leticia take off her shirt for the X-ray. It’s a catch-22. I’m used to being naked around people. It happens all the time with shifting. But she isn’t. Her discomfort is putting me further on edge.
Doc X-rays not just her forearm where the break is likely, but also her upper arm and shoulder to be on the safe side.
He’s already poked and prodded her bruises and confirmed that she doesn’t have a concussion.
Doc turns the monitor to face us and points with the end of his pen at one spot on the screen and then another. “There are two small fractures. We’ll definitely need to put you in a cast and sling. It’ll need to be casted for a good six weeks.”
“Mmm.” Leticia bites her lips together. “Okay.”
I squeeze her non-injured hand. “Are you just saying that or are you really okay?”
“Well, there’s no changing what’s happened. And because I’ve never had a broken bone before, I’m trusting Doc,” she says with a shrug.
Kill them with fire.My wolf pictures a flamethrower as an option to take out Gregorio D’Medici.
“That’s good.” I smile at her. “First time for everything, and hopefully this’ll be your last time too.”
“Do you want a pink cast?” Doc asks as he goes to the cupboard of supplies. “Or I have lime green or white?”
“Is it weird to get a pink cast as an adult?” Leticia’s voice is small and low, like she’s talking to herself rather than Doc and me.
“Nah, if anyone is judging your pink cast, they don’t deserve to be in your life anyway.” I lean over and kiss her cheek in reassurance. “Besides, white gets dirty faster.”
“Pink it is.” Doc starts bringing over supplies.
The silence feels uncomfortable between us as Doc starts bandaging her arm. He gives me a stink eye, clearly telling me to comfort her when she squirms under his touch.
“I’ve got your class schedule, and I’ll work with Dad to get you a dedicated security team so you can keep going to classes. Laptop and new books are already in my cart to order.”
It feels like the most awkward conversation to try to start. Will she even want to talk about school? Is that stressful?
“Really?” Leticia’s gaze darts away from where Doc is wrapping to meet my eyes. “I didn’t expect...”
“Of course. No one will stop you from getting your degree and graduating. If that’s what you want.”
I try not to be offended that she thinks we would stop her, but I force myself to remember that her dad would have pulled her out of school without a question or conversation. That she was married off to a man who might not have cared what she wanted. It’s too easy to think of her as never being anywhere else ever.
“I can condense my classes. There’s still time to move them so that I don’t have to go to Chicago as often.” Leticia chews on her bottom lip.
“That’s not necessary unless you want to change your schedule so you’re in the car less,” I say, but I smile a little wider, knowing we don’t need to focus on the details right this second. “I am warning you, though, my parents can be a bit obnoxious about graduations.”
My wolf so helpfully retrieves the memory of the two of them wearing royal-blue shirts with silver crowns and party hats to my college graduations. As if being named Royal wasn’t enough, they sure had to make a big deal out of it.
“Mom and Dad couldn’t care less about my schooling, and Berto would rather I not ‘drain security resources’ to go to class.” Leticia shrugs one shoulder, holding still for Doc. “It must be nice to have someone care that you do well.”
“Well, now you have a pack of us.” Doc smiles between the two of us. “We all care if another does well. It’s a village.”
Our mate is pack, finally.My wolf approves, wagging his tail.
“A big, fancy, expensive village.” I laugh, thinking about the vast numbers of acreage, homes, schools, and businesses we’ve amassed. None of that will matter to Leticia though. She’s not impressed by those sorts of things. “With a pack, it’s impossible to deny the sense of community. They might not be all related to you, but it’s one big family.”
“That might be nice. It’s hard when you have to calculate which degree of cousins you’re talking to.” Leticia sighs, a soft smile taking over her face. “The fifth cousin on your mother’s side is not something I appreciate having to math out regularly.”
